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Walking in the Cinque Terre

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Landscapes of the Cinque Terre and Riviera di Levante: 50 long and short walks

by Georg Henke

If you enjoyed Sunflower’s best-selling guide to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, you’re sure to love the Cinque Terre part of Italy, with its steeply terraced vineyards, ancient mule trails and colourful villages.

The Riviera di Levante between Genoa and La Spezia has become a much-loved hiking area — perhaps the most popular in all Italy apart from the Alps. And the ‘Cinque Terre’, the steep coast south of Levanto cradling the five villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, is the best loved of all.

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The new Second edition of this very popular guide was revised just before press date, when the author retraced many of the walks. Free GPS tracks are now downloadable for all the walks.

The Mediterranean coast between Nizza (Nice) and La Spezia, the ‘Riviera’, was the birthplace of modern tourism in the early 1800s. The beauty of the landscape, the unspoilt and colourful old towns by the sea, the mild climate and the abundant subtropical vegetation attracted the upper classes who could afford the luxury of a leisurely stay in the warmth of the south. These wealthy people spent their days gambling in the casinos; hiking along stony mule trails or swimming in salt water was definitely not what a break in the Med was all about!

But over the last 30 years the eastern part of the area, the Riviera di Levante between Genoa and La Spezia, has become a much-loved hiking: the colourful houses of the five villages, nestled against steep terraced slopes above the blue sea and still connected by old cobbled mule trails, take the visitor back to the days when the Italian coast was still unspoilt by modern civilisation. That’s why this small area has been designated as an Italian national park and a UNESCO world heritage site.

Further inland, the sparsely inhabited Apennines, which cross the whole Italian Peninsula from Liguria to Calabria, offer up a totally different landscape — a remote area of high pastures, mixed forests and barren ridges. This area has plenty of hiking trails, but it does not satisfy the expectations of visitors seeking the charm of the Mediterranean. That’s why foreign visitors tend to ignore this hinterland — and why nearly all the walks in this book keep to the coast.

This is a walking guide: while ‘Landscapes’ guides normally feature car touring and picnicking sections, the Riviera di Levante does not lend itself to touring by car. The towns and villages are so tightly packed that parking is a major problem — especially in the Cinque Terre. And since most of the trails are linear, the walks require access by public transport in any case. Visitors out for a stroll can use Sunflower’s detailed maps to find the best spots for picnicking in a gorgeous setting.

Area covered: The book covers the whole Riviera di Levante, from the Magra River and La Spezia in the south, via the Cinque Terre and Portofino Peninsula, to Genoa in the north. Most of the walks are by the coast, since that’s where almost all visitors want to holiday, but there are a few hikes in the isolated interior.

The best months for walking in this part of Italy are April to mid-June and mid-September to the end of October, but because of the mild climate, hiking can be pleasant all year round, especially if one sticks close the the coast in winter.

The Walking in the Cinque Terre guidebook is divided into six areas along the Riviera di Levante — from Genoa to La Spezia: the Cinque Terre proper (the five villages from Monterosso to Riomaggiore), La Spezia Bay (from Portovenere to Bocca di Magra), the ‘Little Cinque Terre’ (Moneglia to Levanto), the Tigullio Gulf (Rapallo to Sestri Levante), the Portofino Peninsula, and Genoa.

Each section has an introduction, including suggestions for accommodation in the most suitable villages or towns and some recommended hotels and B&Bs. Bear in mind that the compact Cinque Terre area itself can be extremely crowded and expensive in the ‘season’; it might be better to stay somewhere nearby. Wherever you may be booked, the excellent public transport will allow you to do a great many walks in the book — the author tells you how far you can expect to travel comfortably as a day-trip.

Updates for walks in the Cinque Terre and Riviera do Levante given below supplement those provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated and not to any earlier editions. (If you have an older edition of this book you can “upgrade” to the latest edition at half price.)

Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably by e-mail, to info@sunflowerbooks.co.uk.

Walk 1: You mention in your introduction that parts of the coastal Cinque Terra route are still closed after the 2011 floods; currently the whole low level walk is closed (Oct 2017), with no proposed reopening date. (User, 10/17) + Still closed as of 10/19 according. (User, 10/19)

Walk 1 page 20/21, and walk 7, page 39: TheVia Beccara from Manarola to Riomaggiore has recently been closed by the Cinque Terre park administration because of damage to the terrace walls caused by the large number of walkers who have used this steep and narrow trail over the last years. Only local farmers are still allowed to walk it. There is however an alternative route between the two villages, which is less steep and which offers fine views. It is about half an hour longer than the Via Beccaria; here is a description and map.

Start in Manarola from the Chiesa di San Lorenzo at the upper end of the village. Take the small main road Via Antonio Discovolo rising out of town. Within 3 Min. you come to a parking. About 30 m after its end turn right onto an asphalted track (red-white waymarks of route 506, signpost for Volastra). The track runs to the right of a small creek. Where it touches the road again take a flight of steps to the right, which changes to a cobbled or cemented old path. After some ten minutes from the start cross the Manarola – Road a few meters before its entry into bigger Volastra – La Spezia road. A path runs towards Volastra for about 250 metres parallel to the embankment of the road and then joins it (15 min).

Leave route 506 here und follow a path to the opposite, leading to the right of a tabernacle into a small valley. After about 30 metres from crossing the Volastra – Road branch off right onto an small old path between dry stone walls (red and white waymarks, route 502, signpost “strada dei santuari”). It rises steeply out of the valley. While climbing you go under an electric wiring and past the turn-off left of route 532 C to Groppo. At the forking some 100 metres uphill from an old stone hut turn right (red and white waymarks of route 532 C, signpost “Costa del Corniolo”). A more or less flat small path follows the upper edge of steeply terraced vine fields. Two wooden gates can easily be opened. (Take care to close it behind you!). After a right-hand-bend at the foot of the Corniolo ridge the path rises smoothly through pines and heather to take you onto the Costa del Corniolo (265m). Follow a well-worn path through grapes some 10 min along the top of the ridge towards the coast; all the way you enjoy superb sea-views. At the steep dropping end of the ridge you come to a viewpoint with wooden railings (55 min).

Turn left in front of the railings and follow the well-worn rocky path descending towards Riomaggiore (red and white waymarks). A good five minutes down from the viewpoint, some 30 metres after crossing a second time the iron track of a vine harvesting railway, turn sharply to the left onto a flat path between two pines (red-white waymarks of route 531 C, signpost “parcheggio”). It runs along the southern slopes of the Corniolo Ridge towards the big road bridge spanning the valley of Riomaggiore. Where the path ends, steep stone steps take you a short way down to a small parking between a tunnel and the road bridge (1 h 15 min).

Cross the bridge towards La Spezia. At the end of the railings turn right onto a path (red-white waymarks of route 502, signpost for Riomaggiore). After some 100 m from the road you arrive at a short cemented staircase. It takes you down to an old cobbled mule trail, which descends rapidly between old walls and olive trees to the upper edge of Riomaggiore, where you cross a road to the ruin of a small medieval castle. Turn all to the left in front of the castle walls, pass a chapel and follow the small lane Via Lino Pecunia down to the main church San Giovanni Battista. The central village lane Via Colomb takes you downhill past the entrance of the station tunnel to the small harbour bay of Riomaggiore (1 h 45 min). (Author, 8/17)

Click on map to see a larger version

Walk 2: We did the opposite to your suggested route: walked up the hills and caught the bus down which was wonderful. (User, 10/17)

Walk 6: The website of the Cinque Terre National Park (www.parconazionale5terre.it) states the route 535 (ex route 4b) to be closed from Fossola to the Monesteroli staircase. But in fact it is still open. The route has clear waymarks and on the way I could not notice any sign of closure. (Author, 8/17)

Walk 13: Page 72 says ‘follow track which veers left and joins a small road. Turn right for 30m to the start of a stepped lane.’ We found that we needed to turn LEFT for 30m. Otherwise a lovely route that we really enjoyed. Excellent book. (User, 9/18)

Page 38, from 1 h 50: It is now possible again, to walk via Monesteroli all down to the sea, as the old path has been cleared a little. But take care: for the final descend you have to be absolutely sure-footed: Walk down the steep staircase to Monesteroli and turn right behind the last, still inhabited house of the hamlet. Follow a small path rounding the hillside (red-white waymarks, route 536). It soon descends more steeply over stone steps and in bends all the way down to the seashore, which is reached near the rocky outcrop Scoglio Montanaio rising from the sea. Only if the waters are calm, you may clamber over the boulders, to have a swim here. (Author, 8/17)

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